Refrigerating apparatus



Sept- ZL 1943- I M. J. GULOOZE 2,329,753

REFRIGERATING APPPRATUS l Filed NOV. 9, 1940 BYWQM ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 21, 1943 T il);

FHCE.

REFRGERATING APPARATUS Martin J. Gouiooze, Grand Rapids, Mich.,

nr to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation.

assgn- Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Maryland Application November 9, 1940, Serial No.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to rofrigerating apparatus and more particularly to refrigerator cabinets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved door for a refrigerator cabinet.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved door for a refrigerator cabinet which is of rigid construction and whose outer contours are adapted to blend Vharmoniously with the side walls of the cabinetproper.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an improved door lfor a refrigerator cabinet which comprises an external slvell of dish-like conformation having a concealed sunken and reinforced rim to which is secured an inner door panel.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown. In the drawing:

Fig. l shows a front View in elevation of my improved'refrigerator cabinet; and

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, numeral 23 desig nates a household refrigerator cabinet having an insulated food storage compartment 22 which is maintained at proper refrigerating temperatures by means of a suitable cooling unit (not shown). A machine compartment is located below the food storage compartment. Access to the food storage compartment 22 is obtained by a door 2li which lies entirely outside the food storage comtance. It is then bent back upon itself as indil cated by numeral 34 to form a reverse bend 35 of double thickness of sheet metal. This reverse bend is continued for a short distance along the side wall proper of 26 as indicated at 38. The

lining is 'then bent at right angles to the side i wall proper and parallel to the reverse bend 35 and extended as indicated at 31 inwardly to a point a short distance beyond the reverse bend 35 to form a pocket 38. VIf desired, the portions 34 and 36 of the reverse bend may be secured in (Cl. 20-35l any suitable manner as by welding to the external liningZS to give added rigidity to the corner of the wall. The inner lining member 28 is bent at right angles as indicated at 40 toward the outer lining member and in substantially the same vertical plane as portion 37 of the pocket 33. It is continued-for a short distance and then bent again at right angles in toward the insulation for a short distance forming a backwardly extendingr portion @2. The two lining members 2 and 28 are secured Ytogether by means of a breaker strip 44 consisting of non-conducting material of substantial rigidity suchas Bakelite Micarta." or other plastics. One end of the breaker strip is inserted into the pocket 38 and secured to the portion 3l of the sheet metal lining member 26 by metal screws 6. The other end of the breaker strip is held against the front portion 48 of the liner member 28 by means of clip members 48 and metal screws E8. These clip members comprise a reverse bend 52 which is adapted to lock onto the baokwardly extending portion 42 of the 1ining member 28 and a dat section 54 which lies in same plane as portion 40 of the inner liner 28. The metal screws 5D then secure the breaker strip to this flat portion of the clip. Any number of the clips may be used. Preferably the clips are about 1/2 wide and are attached to the lining 28 at various points around the flange 42. If desired for the sake of facilitating cleaning, as a protective covering or for the sake of appearance, a thin metal trim strip 56 may be inserted over the breaker strip. This is locked in place at one end between the reverse bend 35 and the breaker strip'in the pocket 38 and at the other end is bent back into an angular cut away portion 58 in the inner side of the breaker strip M whereby it is effectively secured.

The door 2d as shown in detail in Fig. 2 prefs erably extends to the outer edges of the insulated walls of the food compartment and has no part projecting into the food compartment. It comprises an outer sheet metal lining member 60 of dishlike conformation, the sides thereof being substantially flush with the outer lining member 26 of the walls ofy the food compartment. The sides at their inner extremities are bent inwardly at right angles as at 62 for a short distance. Then they are bent back almost at right angles as indicated at 64 and nally again bent toward the center of the door substantially parallelwwith portion G2 as indicated at 66. The lining 50,

portions 62 and 64 together form a ridge E1 around the periphery of the door while the two portions E4 and S6 form an angular seat or inset portion entirely around the inside of the ridge. In order to give rigidity to this inwardly extending portion of the sheet metal lining 60 and hence to the entire door, a reinforcing member 68 consisting of a narrow sheet metal strip of substantial thickness is rigidly secured in any suitable manner as by welding to the angular seat formed by the two portions 64 and 66 of the outer liner 60. This member 68 preferably has a short portion 'l0 bent at an angle to conform with that of the portion 64 so that greater rigidity will be obtained. Furthermore, if desired, still greater rigidity may be obtained by bending the other end of member 68 inwardly toward the front part of lining member 60, as indicated at 12. Since the reinforcing member 68 is secured to the inner portion 64 of the ridge 61 and not to the outer lining 60, the latter presents an unmarred surface. Extending across the back of the door and joining the inner edges of the sheet metal lining member 60 is a flat sheet preferably but not necessarily of non-conducting material 'I4 such as Bakelite Micarta, or other plastics which serves as the inner door panel. This inner door panel is secured to the reinforcing member 68 by means of metal screws 16. Insulation l1 is interposed between the liner 60 and the sheet 14. A rubber gasket 80 extends around the periphery of the door for preventing air and moisture from leaking into the food storage compartment when the door is closed. It comprises a flat portion 82 and a hollow head portion 84. The portion 82 is secured between the inner door panel 14 and the reinforcing member 68, while the portion 84 is adapted to fold back over the edge of the inner door panel and cover the heads of screws 16. When the door is closed the head 84 of the gasket is adapted to press against the sheet metal reverse bend 35 on the wall of the food compartment.

From the foregoing, it will appear that I have provided an improved refrigerator door which comprises an outer sheet metal lining of dishlike conformation having a sunken reinforced rim hidden from external view to which is attached an inner door panel of non-conducting material. Such a door presents a smooth unbroken surface which blends harmoniously with the body of the cabinet and still at the same time because of the concealed reinforcing strip possesses rigidity.

Although only a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated, and that form described in detail, it will'be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A door for a refrigerator cabinet comprising a sheet metal cover bent to form at least the front and side walls of the door and having a portion formed at right angles to the side walls to provide 'a narrow inner face for the door, the cover then being bent rearwardly to form a portion substantially parallel with the side walls and terminating with an inset ange portion spaced from said front Wall and spaced inwardly of the inner face and substantially parallel with said inner face, a reinforcing member'in the form of a Z in cross section secured in engagement with said rearwardly bent portion and said flange portion and a cover panel secured to said Z-shaped reinforcing member to serve as the major portion of the rear side of the door.

2. A door for a`refrigerator cabinet comprising a thin sheet metal cover bent to form at least the front and side walls of the door and having a portion formed at right angles to the side walls to provide a narrow inner face for the door, the cover then being bent rearwardly to form a portion substantially parallel with the side walls and terminating with an inset flange portion spaced from said front wall and spaced inwardly of the inner face and substantially parallel with said inner face, a narrowl relatively thick reinforcing frame member rigidly secured to and carried by said inset flange portion and having a terminating leg extending at an angle from said inset ange portion toward the interior and front wall of the door and a rear panel arranged to cover at least a portion of said reinforcing frame member and to form the major portion of the rear side of the door and having an edge secured to said reinforcing member.

MARTIN J. GOULOOZE. 

